Infernal Source Dig Site

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Infernal Source Dig Site
Infernal Source.png
Release30 March 2020 (Update)
MembersYes
LocationVarrock
MusicDisorder
Map
[view][talk]

The Infernal Source Dig Site is a dig site just west of the Jolly Boar Inn (outside the northern gates of Varrock) that players can first access at level 20 Archaeology, upon receiving an invitation from Movario - a Zamorakian scholar.

Throughout the various excavation sites the player learns of the Order of Dis, a secretive Zamorakian demon cult that operated at the turn of and throughout the Third Age, and is eventually led to the discovery of the Source - the location where demons were once summoned to Gielinor. Excavation at the Infernal Source also provides materials for Ancient Summoning, which enables players to summon demons of their own.

Dig site info[edit | edit source]

Infernal Source Dig Site
ManagerMovario
Requirements20 Archaeology Archaeology

History[edit | edit source]

Gateway to Infernus[edit | edit source]

Early in the Second Age, when Zaros first walked on Gielinor, he determined that he would need an army in order to stand against the rest of the young gods. He returned to Infernus, where he tricked Hostilius into granting him an army consisting of twelve legions of demons.[1] However, Zaros determined that transporting them back to Gielinor would prove too taxing a task even for him; instead, he transported only Duke Nemesis of the First Legion and over a hundred Avernic demons in order to battle the hydra god Loarnab. While at first it sported only two heads, Zaros had his demons fight Loarnab until it grew a total of twelve heads, upon which he ensnared the beast and turned its body into a portal to Infernus fueled by its own divine power. For every one of the twelve legions that crossed the portal, one of its heads turned to stone. When all the legions had crossed over to Gielinor, Loarnab's body had turned into a stone statue, which would remain as a monument outside what would become Senntisten.[2]

The Order of Dis[edit | edit source]

At the height of the Zarosian Empire, Zamorak plotted to usurp Zaros by gathering like-minded allies to revolt in open rebellion. He appealed to the Avernic demons, offering to liberate them from their Chthonian masters in exchange for their allegiance.[3][4] Thus, immediately following the defeat of Zaros at the end of the Second Age, the Tsutsaroth demons who assisted him during the fight gathered around a collapsed Zamorak and, led by Thammaron, opened a portal to Infernus in order to have him deliver on his end of their bargain.[5][6] Saradomin and the rest of the gods were swift in exploiting the ensuing power vacuum and began launching their own invasions upon the empire.[7]

While most of the Zamorakians were driven out of Senntisten or hunted down by Zarosian loyalists, some of them found ways to serve Zamorak while hiding in plain sight. One such person was Duchess Philippa Wharton, who feigned loyalty to Saradomin while in truth she led a Zamorakian cult known as the Order of Dis. Their goal was to assist Zamorak by paving the way for his eventual return to Gielinor; in order to accomplish this, Wharton founded the Star Lodge, its very name a way to mock Saradomin, and built a secret dungeon beneath the Lodge where the cult could operate unseen.[8]

Their biggest and most important undertaking was the dismantling of the Hydra Gate (that is, Loarnab's corpse), which they would then carefully smuggle beneath the Star Lodge piece by piece, before teleporting the pieces through a ritual circle to an area deep beneath Forinthry that would come to be known as the Infernal Source. Once the pieces reached their final destination, the Order would reconstruct the Hydra Gate so that it may be useable once more.[9]

At some point, Wharton was able to trick the Infernal demon Dagon into forming a contract with her.[10] His duty would be to protect the Source from would-be intruders until it "fell into enemy hands"; until such a time came, Dagon was physically unable to leave the Source, much to his own chagrin.[11] Meanwhile, the Order would continue to surreptitiously recruit more followers by encouraging visitors during the day. Those that refused were offered as sacrifices to Dagon, which he despised.[12]

After a few years, the Order was able to restore the Hydra Gate, allowing demons to travel to Gielinor from Infernus once more. Some of the new arrivals would deliver news of Zamorak's campaign on Infernus, assuring the Order that Zamorak would be returning to Gielinor soon.[13] Zamorak would indeed return from Infernus 19 years after the fall of Zaros, after which he would claim the empire's former territory as his own and declare war upon the other gods, ending the Second Age and beginning the God Wars.[14]

With the return of Zamorak, Wharton deemed that the Star Lodge had fulfilled its purpose. Nevertheless, the Order of Dis would continue to maintain it over the centuries due to the significance it played. However, because many other entrances to the Source were opened over time, along with a steady supply of "volunteers" to join Zamorak, the Order began to diminish throughout the war, until eventually only a human and a demon were all that was left.[15] Because the Lodge saw less and less visitors, it was no longer maintained properly, becoming unsafe for habitation.[16] Furthermore, activity at the Source diminished over time and became more sporadic, giving people even less reasons to visit the Lodge or join the Order.[17]

Ultimately, at the climax of the God Wars, a cornered Zamorak used the Stone of Jas to incinerate the entirety of Forinthry in a desperate attempt to defeat his enemies. The fallout from the explosion caused the Lodge to be buried in debris; this, coupled with the subsequent awakening of Guthix, the establishment of the Edicts of Guthix and the banishment of the gods from Gielinor would cause the Star Lodge and the Infernal Source to remain forgotten for thousands of years.[18]

Rediscovery[edit | edit source]

The Infernal Source would be rediscovered during the Sixth Age, two thousand years after the end of the God Wars, when the newly-founded Archaeology Guild started a dig to investigate the Star Lodge, with a Zamorakian scholar named Movario as the site manager. The World Guardian, with the assistance of Movario, would uncover the Star Lodge and the entrance to the Dungeon of Disorder, where they would later restore the ritual circle leading to the Source. In there, they would also meet Dagon the Gatekeeper, who, having guessed that the Order was by now defunct[19], convinced them to release him by freeing him from the Hydra Gate (thus being considered as having "fallen into enemy hands", as per the terms of his contract). In gratitude, Dagon taught the World Guardian how to bind demons to do their bidding, as payment for services rendered.[20]

Invasion[edit | edit source]

The following takes place during Twilight of the Gods.

After the Elder God Wars, the armies of most of the participating gods were left crippled from the massive casualties and at a fraction of their strength. The only god whose army was left relatively unscathed was Zamorak, who withdrew his support from the alliance shortly before the end of the conflict in protest of Seren's refusal to bring the fight to a decisive end by destroying the eggs of the Elder Gods.[21] In the aftermath of the war, Zamorak seized the opportunity to gather his demonic armies from Infernus and bring them to Gielinor through the Infernal Source, having absorbed the power of the Eye of Het before his withdrawal.[22] Though he could bring his demons to Gielinor using his own power, the Infernal Source provided a more convenient means to summon them.[23]

Once he entrenched himself in the Wilderness Crater and the resurrected Order of Dis secured the Dungeon of Disorder, Zamorak proceeded to launch his invasion of Gielinor: thousands of demons poured through the Infernal Source and began attacking settlements across the continent, decimating what forces stood against them. Saradomin was forced to forge an alliance with Armadyl, Azzanadra and Icthlarin in order to stand against Zamorak, but even then the odds were stacked against them. Eventually, the World Guardian was able to come up with a plan to re-establish the Edicts of Guthix, a plan that necessitated access to the Wilderness Crater since it was the place where Guthix originally cast the Edicts at the end of the Third Age. The only flaw in the plan was that all the gods would be banished from Gielinor without exception and that the World Guardian would lose their powers after the spell was cast, but both the gods and the World Guardian saw this as an acceptable sacrifice if it meant stopping Zamorak's invasion.[24][25][26] Having reached consensus, the gods began to look for a way to breach the shield surrounding the crater while they fought to hold the demons at bay.[27]

Getting there[edit | edit source]

There are a variety of ways to travel to the entrance of the Infernal Source dig site.

Overview[edit | edit source]

The player may speak to Movario for an introductory cutscene of Guildmaster Tony's observations. The surface also provides access to a bank chest and material storage container as well as an archaeologist's workbench. Upon descent, the Infernal Source dig site consists of three areas:

  1. The Star Lodge cellar
  2. The Dungeon of Disorder
  3. The Source

Star Lodge cellar[edit | edit source]

The Star Lodge was a former inn and front for the ancient Zamorakian demon cult, the Order of Dis, at the turn of and during the Third Age. The ruins of its cellar are first accessible to the player with level 20 Archaeology and is the first of several excavation sites that ultimately lead to the Source.

The Star Lodge cellar's restored fireplace and art storage excavation sites.

The Star Lodge's cellar contains two cadmium red material cache and two excavation hotspots (lodge bar storage and lodge art storage), requiring level 20 and 24 Archaeology, respectively. These sites yield various materials and damaged artefacts used in the Archaeology skill, including opulent wine goblets, hookah pipes, paintings, and crests of Dagon. There are also six chests containing various items, including crests of Dagon, one damaged, and another intact - as well as some of the materials needed to repair them.

The Star Lodge cellar features one mystery, the Eyes in Their Stars, wherein the player learns the true history of the lodge and gains access to the Dungeon of Disorder underneath. The player may begin this mystery by interacting with the gutted fireplace at the northern end of the cellar.

The Star Lodge also features an opportunity for special research, Starry Eyed. The player may enable this particular research assignment by studying the Star Lodge sign in the north-western corner of the cellar.

Dungeon of Disorder[edit | edit source]

The altar where victims kidnapped by the Order of Dis were sacrificed.

The Dungeon of Disorder (also known as the Dis dungeon) was the base of operations for the Order of Dis. The dungeon's ruins lie under the Star Lodge cellar, and are accessible to the player with level 24 Archaeology, after completion of the mystery, Eyes in Their Stars. The Dungeon of Disorder ultimately leads to the Source.

The Dungeon of Disorder features four primary areas for investigation: the sacrificial altar, the dungeon, the cultist footlocker, and the ritual circle.

The sacrificial altar[edit | edit source]

The first area features a sacrificial altar where uncooperative kidnap victims were sacrificed. The altar offers a hand of glory and three sacrificial altar hotspots that may be excavated with level 36 Archaeology to obtain various materials and artefacts, including ritual daggers, and Order of Dis robes. The altar also has a materials cart to store excavated materials. The player may also gain access to the special research, The Dark Underbelly, by studying the sacrificial altar.

Dungeon / torture chamber[edit | edit source]

The dungeon, or torture chamber, where kidnap victims were kept, features three Dis dungeon debris hotspots, which may be excavated with level 45 Archaeology to obtain additional materials and artefacts, such as branding irons and manacles.

Cultist footlocker[edit | edit source]

The cultists' living quarters contain six cultist footlocker hotspots, which may be excavated with level 29 Archaeology to obtain artefacts that include imp masks, lesser demon masks, and greater demon masks. In addition to the hotspots, the living quarters also contain two Eye of Dagon material caches and the tunnel just outside features a materials cart to store excavated materials.

Ritual circle[edit | edit source]

The ritual circle is the last area and is found at the end of the tunnels in the Dungeon of Disorder, marking where the Order of Dis once met to open the portal to the Source. The ritual circle does not feature any excavation hotspots, but two hellfire metal material caches. The ritual circle is also the central focus of the mystery, Embrace the Chaos, where the player restores the ritual circle and reopens the portal to the Source. The player may solve this mystery by first collecting all four of the cultist's diary pages, which reveals the incantation required to open the portal.

The Source[edit | edit source]

The Infernal Source, with Dagon the gatekeeper visible at the bottom.
Players must navigate through the portals within the Infernal Source. However the portals are not 100% reliable unless players add a restored Chaos star to their toolbelt.

The Source lies directly underneath the Wilderness Crater, although the location itself is safe.

To access The Source the Embrace the Chaos mystery must be completed.

There are four levels in the Source, scattered in a ring layout. Players can traverse around a ring by utilising chaos portals (white), which take them in line, but can misfire. There are also portals leading to several gargoyles scattered across the three levels, required for the Contract Claws mystery.

Dagon portals (red) can be used to move up or down a level.

There are many Archaeology excavation hotspots and materials caches. The lower levels contain higher-levelled Archaeology excavation hotspots.

The portals, with the exception of the Dagon portal leading to the bottom level, have a chance to misfire. The chance can be lowered by freeing the imp Mephisto, with a 1/100 rate of failure when he is freed a seventh time completing the Die! Die! Die! achievement. Adding a restored chaos star artefact to your toolbelt will prevent the portal from misfiring 100% of the time. Misfired portals will take players to another portal at the same level, although not in the correct order. Mephisto is found while wandering around the rings, and also back in the previous portal chamber.

Red Dagon portals on the inner edge of the rings transport down a level, and on the outer edge transport up.

Vestibule of Futility[edit | edit source]

The outer ring which contains three excavation sites:

Chaos portals can be entered to traverse between the different sections of the ring, and Dagon portals to enter the next ring, The Harrowing. Using the portals is very unreliable before Mephisto has been freed.

There is a materials cart in the south, and some archaeologists may also be found in the area.

The portal chamber in the middle can be used to return to Dungeon of Disorder or studied to start the Abandon All Hope research.

The Harrowing[edit | edit source]

The middle ring, The Harrowing, contains three excavation sites:

There is a materials cart in the eastern section of the ring, and archaeologists may be found in the area.

The hellhound marker in the south-west acts as the starting point of the Deeper and Down research.

The white chaos portals can be entered to traverse between the different sections of the ring, while the red Dagon portals can be entered to move up to Vestibule of Futility, or down to Dagon Overlook. Using the portals is very unreliable before Mephisto has been freed.

Dagon Overlook[edit | edit source]

The inner ring, Dagon Overlook, contains two excavation sites:

The white chaos portals can be entered to traverse between the different sections of the ring, while the red Dagon portal can be entered to move up to The Harrowing. Using the portals is very unreliable before Mephisto has been freed.

A trapped demon can be studied in the eastern part to start Who Dis? research.

Hydra portal[edit | edit source]

The bottom level cannot be accessed until the player obtains a chaos star, which can be obtained by completing the Who Dis? research or alternatively by excavating Shakroth remains which both require level 68 Archaeology. This level contains the demon Dagon the Gatekeeper as well as the petrified remains of the hydra god Loarnab.

Talking to Dagon the Gatekeeper starts the Dagon Bye mystery, and studying the hydra gate in the centre of the area unlocks the Hell Mouths research contract.

Excavation hotspots[edit | edit source]

Material caches[edit | edit source]

Mysteries[edit | edit source]

Achievements[edit | edit source]

There are 16 achievements in this group.

Research[edit | edit source]

Music unlocked[edit | edit source]

Transcript[edit | edit source]

Gallery[edit | edit source]

In-Game[edit | edit source]

Concept Art[edit | edit source]

3D Models[edit | edit source]

Development[edit | edit source]

Update history[edit | edit source]

This information has been compiled as part of the update history project. Some updates may not be included—see here for how to help out!
  • patch 8 June 2020 (Update):
    • Items will no longer float when dropped on top of portals in the Infernal Source.
  • patch 18 May 2020 (Update):
    • Some quick-travel options have been added to the entrances of the Infernal Source and Everlight dig sites.
  • patch 4 May 2020 (Update):
    • Fixed minor clipping issues in the Infernal Source.
    • Fixed an issue where certain islands in the Infernal Source were being removed if you had the Remove Roofs setting set to selective.
    • Flowing lava in the Infernal Source will no longer disappear when you stand close to it.
    • Fixed an issue at the Infernal Source where a lava faucet was not being removed when the camera was moved inside it.
    • Fixed some instances of material caches clipping into the floor at Kharid-et and the Infernal Source.
  • patch 27 April 2020 (Update):
    • A landmass inside Infernal Source has been adjusted to only disappear when the camera is moved into it.
    • Some clipping with excavation spots has been fixed in the Star Lodge cellar.
  • hotfix 6 April 2020 (Update):
    • Chests in the Infernal Source cellar can no longer be looted with a full inventory.

Trivia[edit | edit source]

  • The Infernal Source presents numerous references to Dante's Inferno.
  • The player L33 was the first player to find all studies and send out all the special researches at the Infernal Source, prompting the following global broadcast: Game announcement.png News: L33 is the first to master the Infernal Source Dig Site by fully exploring the site's history!
  • While the site is members only, the Archaeologist's workbench, Material storage container, and Bank chest are usable by free players. It provides a close bank to the Earth altar.

References[edit | edit source]

  1. ^ Sliske's memory, "Mahjarrat Memories (miniquest)", RuneScape.
  2. ^ Codex Ultimatus, written by Duke Nemesis, RuneScape.
  3. ^ Palkeera's memory, "Mahjarrat Memories (miniquest)", RuneScape. "As the Chthonians lived lives of distant luxury, they failed to notice that some urban Avernic were beginning to develop a sentiment of rebellion. Zamorak played on this to sway many Avernic to his side, although only two of the Tsutsaroth were prepared to make an outright pledge of allegiance."
  4. ^ Zemouregal's memory, "Mahjarrat Memories (miniquest)", RuneScape. "The Tsutsaroth who ruled the Avernic demons were not so easily swayed. Zamorak offered to help them throw off the shackles of their oppressive enslavement to the Chthonians, and still only Thammaron and Zebub had the wit and imagination to actively fight for the rebellion."
  5. ^ Palkeera's memory, "Mahjarrat Memories (miniquest)", RuneScape. "After the destruction of Zaros, Zamorak fulfilled his pledge to the Avernic by travelling with them to Infernus to overthrow the Chthonians."
  6. ^ Zemouregal's memory, "Mahjarrat Memories (miniquest)", RuneScape. "Once the battle was won, and Zaros's shrivelled remains lay at Zamorak's feet, the Tsutsaroth saw no reason to wait. Zamorak, though visibly coursing with the divinity of our former lord, collapsed to the ground in agony and exhaustion. With the death of Zaros, the surviving loyalist Tsutsaroth sought direction from the victor as was their custom, and Thammaron gathered them around Zamorak's body, opening a portal to Infernus. Between them, the mighty demons were able to lift the new god, and they carried him out of Gielinor."
  7. ^ Zemouregal's memory, "Mahjarrat Memories (miniquest)", RuneScape. "Many Avernic and some Mahjarrat joined him on Infernus, while those of us who remained held out against the Zarosians. We were aided in this as the other gods chose this time of crisis to launch their own invasions into the stricken empire, and Azzanadra's rapidly depleting forces were fighting on all borders."
  8. ^ Founder's journal page 1, written by Philippa Wharton, "Eyes in Their Stars", RuneScape.
  9. ^ Founder's journal page 2, written by Philippa Wharton, "Eyes in Their Stars", RuneScape.
  10. ^ Dagon the Gatekeeper, "Dagon Bye", RuneScape. "I was tricked into a contract by Duchess Wharton so many years ago, and have hated this place ever since."
  11. ^ Dagon the Gatekeeper, "Dagon Bye", RuneScape. "While not a prisoner, I am literally unable to leave so long as my contract stands. However, if my contract were to be voided in some way... It states that I may only break my contract if this place falls into enemy hands, in order to help protect its secrets."
  12. ^ Founder's journal page 3, written by Philippa Wharton, "Eyes in Their Stars", RuneScape.
  13. ^ Founder's journal page 4, written by Philippa Wharton, "Eyes in Their Stars", RuneScape.
  14. ^ Zemouregal's memory, "Mahjarrat Memories (miniquest)", RuneScape. "Nineteen years later, Zamorak returned to Gielinor at the head of an Avernic demon army even larger than the one Zaros had invaded with, although admittedly not as well-disciplined now that the Chthonians had been exterminated or exiled to the Abyss. He was flush with his new divinity and his success on Infernus, and demonstrated his valour by declaring the entire former empire his domain and attacking almost all of the invading gods simultaneously, along with the remaining Zarosian loyalists. The God Wars then began in earnest."
  15. ^ Cultist's diary page 1, written by Francis Dashwood, "Embrace the Chaos", RuneScape.
  16. ^ Cultist's diary page 2, written by Francis Dashwood, "Embrace the Chaos", RuneScape.
  17. ^ Cultist's diary page 3, written by Francis Dashwood, "Embrace the Chaos", RuneScape.
  18. ^ Movario, RuneScape. "The Jolly Boar is built atop an older building called Star Lodge. My research leads me to believe it was buried by fallout from the Forinthry explosion."
  19. ^ Dagon the Gatekeeper, RuneScape. "Good, that confirms they have fallen. I had assumed as much, given the lack of contact for over two millennia. That and, if the Order were still around, they would have stopped you reaching this place."
  20. ^ Movario, RuneScape. "There are no further costs to you either. 'This contract is for services already rendered.' For freeing Dagon and thus breaking his old contract, it will grant you this boon on an ongoing basis."
  21. ^ Saradomin, "Twilight of the Gods", RuneScape. "After the losses at the Monolith...at Senntisten. My knights are at a fraction of their strength... even the militias were annihilated. [...] The elves... the druids... the Bandosians... even the Zarosian traitors, they all suffered grievous casualties just as we did. The only forces to escape the Elder God War relatively unscathed...were Zamorak's."
  22. ^ Edda, "Twilight of the Gods", RuneScape. "Our Lord is at his peak. He recently absorbed the power of an ancient Menaphite artefact known as the Eye of Het. With that power He can summon an endless tide of demons from the demon dimensions! The weak Saradominists foolishly threw their forces away in some meaningless conflict, and are in no state to oppose us."
  23. ^ "Twilight of the Gods", RuneScape. "Player: Can we destroy the Infernal Source? Damage it somehow?
    Saradomin: The Infernal Source itself is merely a conduit. Zamorak does not need it to open a portal to Infernus, it is simply more convenient. No, the problem is Zamorak and the power he absorbed, not the Source."
  24. ^ "Twilight of the Gods", RuneScape. "Player: It felt...like I was being turned inside-out. Like part of me was being...
    Light Voice: ...drained away. Yes... If you complete this ritual, we'll be gone. Forever.
    Shadow Voice: That means no more World Guardian powers. You'll be just a regular old human."
  25. ^ "Twilight of the Gods", RuneScape. "Juna: And is that a sacrifice you're willing to make?
    Player: If that's what it takes to stop Zamorak. Of course."
  26. ^ Saradomin, "Twilight of the Gods", RuneScape. "Zamorak feeds on rivalry - craves conflict and adversity. And what greater rival has he than I? While I hold true to my ideals, I can only fan those flames. And without my ideals I am nothing. So establish your Edicts, World Guardian. Zamorak will be cast from this world, and I with him. He wants war? So shall he have it. The firmament shall tremble with every blow we deal one another, and our battle shall echo through eternity. But this world will be safe."
  27. ^ "Twilight of the Gods", RuneScape. "Player: The Edicts can only be re-established at the Edicts Monument, deep in the Wilderness.
    Azzanadra: Ah, exactly where Zamorak has fortified himself.
    Saradomin: Zamorak has shielded the entire crater. I tested it myself. We need get the World Guardian inside the shield. My people will find a way."